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Pet lady: That's my role in the Miami Herald newsroom. I've been here since 1989, during which time I've had 11 dogs, a ring-necked parakeet, a chicken, and a lizard named Lance. At the moment, I have four dogs, one step-dog, and two cockatiels. A native New Yorker, I came here from Louisville, Ky. I'm a graduate of the University of Arizona, and had a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard in 1988. I have written 309 stories containing the word "dog" in the past 20 years.

Herald Blogs

January 24, 2008

Breed Ban Laws: Pending Legislation

This is a letter from Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's office to someone concerned about municipal breed bans:

Dear Mr. Logan:

Thank you for writing to Governor Charlie Crist to voice your concerns relating to dangerous dogs and the banning of specific breeds of dogs. The Governor appreciated receiving your letter and has asked that I respond on his behalf.

Florida law (Section 767.14) currently prevents local municipalities from crafting a “dangerous dog” ordinance aimed at a specific breed of dog. As you may be aware, there is a bill that has been filed that seeks to change this law. Representative Thurston is sponsoring House Bill 101, which calls for the deletion of language which prevents local municipalities from imposing a ban on specific breeds of dangerous dogs. You may track the progress of this bill through the legislative process by going to the following website: http://www.flsenate.gov/session/index.cfm?BI_Mode=ViewBillInfo&Mode=Bills&SubMenu=1&Year=2008&billnum=101

The Executive Office of the Governor will follow this bill and all other bills as they move through the legislative process. Generally, Governor Crist does not take a position on a specific bill until it has been adopted by the Legislature and presented for his action, as bills can be amended substantially during the legislative process. Please be assured, if final legislation is presented to the Governor on this topic, he will consider your input as he decides whether to sign or veto.

As a final point, you may wish to share your comments with members of your local legislative delegation to express your opposition to this bill and provide them any information which they might use to make a decision on this issue. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your views with Governor Crist.

Sincerely,

Aundra BryantOffice of Policy and BudgetExecutive Office of the Governor

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Same thing is happening in South Beach, around 15th & Meridian. So far 3 cats have been poisoned and have died, could be more. We are posting signs to inform the neighborhood that killing and poisoning dogs or cats is illegal and punishable by law.